Monday, October 26, 2009

What Now With Vermes?

With the season now over, the Wizards have some questions to ask about the team itself and the front office. One of the most important questions revolves around technical director and interim coach, Peter Vermes. Where, if anywhere in the organization will Vermes be next year? Will he be back in the dual role of technical director and coach? While Vermes record with the Wizards was only 3-6-3, the team did seem to be playing better under Vermes than they did under Curt Onalfo. But as Vermes said in the Star recently the question becomes can he balance both positions?

Or Vermes could just stay on as coach and the team bring in another technical direct. The question then becomes how Vermes would feel able transitioning from the more player acquisition role to just the coaching role. He could also just step back into the technical director role and let the team bring in a new coach period. This in all honesty seems like the most likely end result. While I know many people are calling for Vermes head as well. I have a feeling that Vermes will get at least one more coach before he is let go. And that is the other option that could happen, Vermes could be following Onalfo out the door. In all honesty, I don't think that would happen, but it would make some sense as since Vermes became technical director, there's been very little improvement in the team.

Either way, as Robb Heineman said in the article above, the team wants to have their new coach in place by the time of the expansion draft in late November. So hopefully we'll be hearing soon about what's going on. I'm hoping to get a list of potential candidates up later this week.

So what do you think will happen to Vermes? Vote in the poll on the right with what you think will happen (not what you think should happen), whether he'll stay on as coach, technical director, both, or be fired.

8 comments:

A part of the Vermes situation that makes it more complex is his deep roots and workings in the community. He essentially runs the Blue Valley Soccer club and was instrumental in making the new massive $36 million dollar OP soccer complex happen. He has a good level of popularity in the area from which he has used as a way to promote the Wizards. Ownership must be hesitant to ax Vermes at least partially because of his community involvement.

Having said that, to say the Wizards played much better under him than Onalfo is a bit of a stretch. The same maybe, but I wouldn't say better. Further, he is just as responsible for the players brought in as Onalfo was, maybe more. He kind of acted like he was rebuilding when he was named coach, that's a joke, he's been involved with the team and personell decisions since he started as TD.

I'm OK with allowing Vermes another year with another coach but I'm skeptical. There really needs to be an overhaul of the roster in my opinion. Kamara and Zoltan are the only post-Onalfo emergences worth noting. Harrington, Hirsig, and a few others have had their chance. It's time to move them along. etc.

Get rid of Harrington? He has speed, techinical ability, tactical understanding and size.. Why? Hes the best young player on this team, Ives had him in the top 3 for LB's in the league and its not Harringtons fault Onalfo decided to go with a center back at LB and then play him out of posistion. Did you not see Marquess going trying to push forward on Saturday? It was a disaster, and with our small pitch everything gets compact which leaves the only open space in the back, meaning you have to have outside backs that can get forward and do something... Move him along? So we can bring in a guy who is a year younger with less talent and a lower ceiling? Sorry for the long rant but Harrington can play, hes one of the best LB's in the league and one of the best American born true LBs currently playing (granted that is very weak spot for us as a whole).

It seems like the players and the community like having Vermes in the organization. In the practices and scrimmages I saw at Swope Park he seemed a lot more involved as a coach than CO was. If you look at some the recruiting he's done, it's not awful but it's nothing spectacular either. I'd like to see Vermes held on to as head coach, and have the team bring in a new technical director. Keeping PV in place as coach might provide some degree of stability while also getting him into a position of more direct accountability.The Wizards have had a chance to chase down Vermes's scouting leads for a while now, and bringing in someone new as a TD might help us unearth players from different universes.

Like there are better options for left back reepicheep? Left back is probably the weakest position in all of MLS and if you have a decent one you don't just go getting rid of him "hoping" to pick up someone better.

Harrington has the skills, but his development stalled under Onalfo. He was a boardline national team player inn his first season and a half. Get a coach that's good at bringing players along and he'd catch up quickly.

What team are you watching? The Wizards are bad because they play bad football. They complete less than 40% of their passes. They can't string together 5 of more passes on a regular basis and so have no ball possession. They play kickball and boot it out of trouble.

Until they get a coach who can teach them to play football they will always struggle. The players are not bad, nor do they lack skill. They lack team awareness, moving to the open space, coming to the ball, opening up to receive passes. They kick long 50/50 balls rather than short easy passes.

They lack an organized defense. Outside backs overlap with no coverage from the midfielder. The forwards do not track back to the midfield to receive the ball. There is no inside out movement of the ball.

Does anybody think they resemble Barcelona, Arsenal or even Aston Villa in their play?

So Vermes and OnGoal better higher a coach who can teach real football. Even a second division Brazilian coach could do that. If they don't play better football, they will always be doomed to mediocrity.